Katrina: a shadow of a person
by BumbleJay
Summary: Kathrin Burks (Oc) has had a hard life. She's had to fight just to be standing where she is. Now, unfortunatly she has attracted th JL attention. Will she keep her independence or be forced to conplie with the JL rules? Will she end up spilling her darkest secrets or is the wall she built strong enough? Does she even want to change? Not in the slightes. Better then you think so try


June 19 2013 11:30.

When most people dream of things hiding in the shadows just out of sight, they call it a nightmare. When I dream of them, I call it a good night's rest. I'm not like most people. I'm an oddity, putting it nicely. My names Katharine Burks, and I am the shadow of Melbourne; Katrina. Every hero's story starts out sad. No matter their age, race or gender something sad and/or bad happens to them. I'm no different. And my tradigy is something that haunts me still. But let's change subject, Kay?

The day…. Or rather night started out like any other. I was awakened by my alarm clocking decided to blasting out a deep and disorientating **BEEP BEEP BEEP**, starling me out of bed. No really I jumped hitting my head on the shelf I had above my pillow. In hind sight, probable not the best place for it, but I liked it there when I was little, and I'm too lazy to move it now.

I was quick out of bed after that, head to soar to even try and return to my slumber. Gurglingly I debated on weather no not to have a shower before going out. Sighing I decided against it. I had a feeling that it was going to be one of those nights, and I didn't want to waste a perfectly good shower. So, with one last longing look at my bed and the warm covers, my shadow started to crawl up my body, changing my clothes into a long dress that covered my feet.

I wore a maidens dress whenever I went to fight the baddies hiding in the dark. A maidens dress is, well it's a medieval dress. Mine was long, black and grey. I had a corset on as well, but it wasn't unconfutable. A well fitted corset is as snug as any bra. It, like my dress, was dark in colour, being grey and black as well. And the last thing to form was my black cloak. First time I'd tried a mask I'd used to much glue and it'd stuck to my face. After I'd finally got it off, I'd had a mask shape red mark on my face for a week. So much concealer, I shudder at the thought of doing that again.

So now I use a mixture of my cloak and living shadows to hide my face. I'm lucky too that the shadows muffle and make my voice hard to recognize, even to my best friend.

Under my cloak I carry an array of different potions, from poisons to healing draughts to even a breath utilizer which allows me to breathe underwater. Grabbing my eucalyptus staff, which is just a large branch from a eucalyptus tree, I send a silent pray to my 'mother' to protect me in my adventures of the night. Also I ask her to stay safe wherever she is. And with that, the shadows on the ground attack me engulfing me and spreading my conscience all over as I search for something to occupy me until the real threats emerge.

"~I'm the daughter of a digger, who sought the mother lode  
The girl became a woman, on the long and dusty road  
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come  
I'm a bushy, I'm a battler, I am Australian~"

I sang to myself as I travel vie shadow across the 'roof' tops of Melbourne. I was born and raised in Australia. The lands my home, I know nothing of anything outside of its waters. Well that might be a little bit of a lie. A few years ago my 'mother' took me to her home land.

When I say 'mother' I mean the woman who raised me, not bore me. My birth mother was an aboriginal woman barley legal, 18 on the day she fell pregnant with me I've been told. My father was a mage who had, umm, business I guess, in Australia. After it was complete he met my mother and bing-bang boom! I'm created! He has no idea I exist. Nope, not even an enkilin. He didn't love my mother and my mother didn't love him, just a one night stand. 9 months after I was created I was placed up for adoption and I was adopted my some rather unkind people. Certain….. events led me away from them 3 years ago when I was 7. My 'mother', Kelly, took me in at a rather emotional point in my life. She took care of me, trained me in 3 languages, maths, literature and science. Then about a year and a half ago, when I was 8, she disappeared. I went looking for her of course. But not a hid nor hair of her showed up, so I did what I'd been trained to do. Help people in need.

Even before my 'mother' went missing I was involved in the Australian hero community. Kelly would provide medical assistance when needed. Fix a cut, heal a broken bone, replace an arm, ya know, the normal stuff. But anyway it was my friend Teru Teru Bozu who convinced me to become a vigilante. She works down in Tasmania and can control the weather!

Only a few weeks after Kelly disappeared I went and checked up on all the Aussie hero's, ya know to see if they knew anything about where she might be. They did not. But Teru, when I went and saw her, she said that Kelly could take care of herself better than anyone so not to worry, she'd turn up and I shouldn't just wait for her to come home. Nope. She told me that I should do something fun. Teru's, well, she's not 100% a good guy. She changes her mind on which side she's on _a lot_. So she went and said to me "Katie, you sweet lost child. Go rob a bank! You'll feel way better!" My gaze told her that I was not amused so she quickly added, "_Or_ go stop someone from robbing a bank." And thus Katrina was born.

I know lame way to decide to become a hero, but hey, I was 8! Don't judge me. Judge sand castles and pie's not people. Never judge a person… Anyway back to the story. After my chat with Teru I went and saw Shield. The old one not the new one. And old granny shield told me, "Young Kathrin why are you asking me?"

"Granny shield I want your help to make a costume-"

"Uniform" her granddaughter and the current shield said.

"What?" I responded.

"Uniform. Your uniform decides what type of hero you will be. Or at least what the people see you as" she had a point. Look at the American- oh crap who was that guy again. Lives in Gotham, bird themed apprentice, cra-BATMAN! That's it! Batman was all dark and broody and I'm like 99.99% sure he did that to scare people. Then you look at shield in her red 'uniform' and arthritic vibe, people listen to her. Dolly up in Queensland is often called 'the child hero' for her childish appearance and way of doing things. I never thought of it that way.

"Kathrin, child, decide what type of hero you want to be. Then _you_ make your uniform" with that granny dismissed me.

I had thought about it for a while. I'm not good with people like Dolly, and with my size and age people never listen to me. My power was based on, well death and darkness, so I didn't really see a different path. I chose the path of the bat.

Donning the dark clothes and corset I became Katrina. The name, at least gave me the illusion of innocents…..

…..Holly crap I'm so off course! Wow crap people shit I'm sorry. I doubt you want to hear any more of my crappy history, okay, shit how'd I get so far off course? Okay anyway, umm I'm a 10 year old hero with a troubled past and Melbournian. Right, okay ahh, I was saying before I drifted off onto some crazy shit.

I was flying over the roof tops of Melbourne when I felt it. It was the pull of something. Insanity. I knew it anywhere, it was the Dollmaker. The woman was insane, and worse still; she was magic. Powerful magic to. Like voodoo magic, something that I had trouble combating. Swearing, I subatised and raced off in the direction of the Dollmaker. It was never a good idea to come at her with magic, she could sense it.

The Dollmaker follows a pattern like many other villains. A theme, of sorts. Dollmaker…. She lost her mind thanks to magic. Although I know nothing of her life before being the Dollmaker, I know it was her magic that made her this way. Whatever or whoever she once was is irrelevant now. The Dollmaker gets her name thanks to her…. Tendency to kidnap and kill people then turn them into dolls. She removes everything from them, bones, organs, muscles. Everything. Then she stuffs them with magic and BOOM! A living doll. The bones she turns into jewellery and decorates her dolls with, and if she 'likes' her doll….. she makes cloths out of their organs and dresses them in it. She is the reason normal people should not use magic.

One of my best friends is one of her creations. Dolly. She broke the hold the Dollmaker had over her, but she remembers nothing about her life prior to doll-affrication. Poor girl. Magic is not for humans who have no affinity for it. It just ends badly.

But I'm off track…. Once again. Damn it! Right so I raced over the roof tops of Melbourne, heading for the pull of insanity I felt. I was surprised to see that she wasn't held up in a toy factory. Instead she was sticking out the brutal winter* in an the old Melbourne gaol.

Groaning I slipped in the front door. I expected to be greeted by silence, but instead I heard the distinctive sound of fighting. Grate, Dollmaker and Jewel must be having a spiff. Now I had to fight the 2! Terrific.

My foot steps were silent as I wondered down the corridor. Many people claim that the gaol is haunted. They…..feel something there. Now multiple that by 50 and you get what I feel whenever I go there. I can hear them. The dead. Always have, always will. At least if I have anything to say about it.

After about 3 or 4 turns I came upon the battle. Instead of seeing the sleek form of Jewel, I saw the blinding colours of a battle between the childish Dollmaker and some…..heroes? Either that or some confused villains.

I stayed in the shadows, watching, waiting to see how this played out. From what I could see there were 6 heroic-villains. One in a- traffic light(?) costume jumping about. A green child who kept changing shape, a bat-themed girl, a blonde beauty who slammed her fist into one of the Dollmaker's dolls, a yellow blur moving too fast for me to make scenes of it and a- WHOLLY CRAP IT'S A HOMO MAGI! Shit-poop-asswhipe! Okay calm down, no need to even be seen they're getting along just find.

Riiiiiiight. Yeah no. Dollmaker's going to kill them. Okay I'm a going to make my move. Alright here we go. Okay now, no now… I'll just keep watching.

They did seem to know what to do. The blur moved at possible the speed of light, hitting the dolls. Did very little though, a single punch, no matter how strong, won't defeat the dolls. The traffic light seemed rather aggressive, punching and kicking anything that got close to him. The bat-girl was skilled in fighting I'll give her that. The blonde beauty was strong to. The little green dude, at moment, was a rhino attacking whatever got close, and the Homo Magi was rather skilled in her magic I'll give her that.

Smiling slightly I thought I wouldn't be need for once. Buuuuut no~pe. Dollmaker's good at fighting. And her dolls are really hard to kill. Within a few moments Dollmaker had taken over the battle. The heroic-villains were losing now. The dolls either over powering them or out numbering them. Now I got to act.

Sighing the shadows crawled up my legs. I hovered, just underground praying Dollmaker didn't know I was there.

She lined up the heroic-villains smiling her sweet smile.

"You're not what I usually fight but you'll do. I suppose" she said in that childlike voice. Honestly if she wasn't so insane she'd be the sweetest thing in this world. But she is insane, and she is not sweet. Grabbing the green dude she smiled a bit, but in more disgust then sweetness. "is there any way to make you look, I don't know normal!?" Green dude glared at her. "Not much of a talker huh? S'all good. Soon you won't be talking at all. Hehe" insert Japanese's kawaii giggle here.

Right time for me to make my move. Dollmaker had moved over and was holding one of her 'tools.' I'm going to leave out what it is cause, you really don't want to know. Anyway, she was holding a 'tool' above the head of the green dude, it was now or never.

Rising from the shadows I stood behind the Dollmaker.

"I don't know why, but it feels like you are cheating on me may may."

Spinning around she smiled widely at me. "Kitty Kat! I knew you'd come! I just knew it! You'd never miss a chance to hang out with your favourite girly would ya?"

"No, never" I replied tonelessly. Never give her what she want's it'll just encourage her. "Now how about you let the heroic-villains go? Hmm?"

"Heroic. OH! You mean my little play things! Afraid not Kit Kat. Ya see, these are mine toys now, and you don't get to play with them. Neh!" she said sticking out her tounge and pulling down her eye. This girl.

"Hey!" The traffic light yelled. Stop flirting and get us out of here!" rude. Very rude.

"Don't get your multi-coloured nickers in a bunch traffic light. I'm working here."

"TRAFFIC LIGHT!-"

"Robin!" The bat-girl yelled. "Enough"

Robin, robin. Where had I heard that. Hmm. Le gasp!

"You're the bat's brat right?" I asked pointing at 'robin.'

"Bat brat?" he seethed.

"Oh this, this right here is cool. That's make you" I said pointing at the bat-girl, who was, originally,- "Batgirl!"

"Yes, that would. Umm could you please hurry this up. I can't seem to cut my bonds, or unhook them."

"You wouldn't, there made of magic" I said simple.

"Kit Kat" Dollmaker whined. "Come on play with me."

"As you wish" With that, her shadow attacked her.

Whilst we had been talking I had taken control of it and formed it into a solid substance. Her magic wouldn't be able to combat it, but it was very draining. I'd only be able to keep it up for a moment or 2.

But that was all I needed. Her shadow had distracted her long enough for me to get close to her. I grabbed her arm and thrust my knee up as I bought her face down. My knee made contact and I heard a CRACK from her nose. Goodie I broke it.

Yet Dollmaker wasn't even fazed. When I let go her hands came up and wrapped around my neck. Quickly I slung my right hand over top of her arms, wrapped my fingers under her left hand, and pulled pack. Dragging her with me. I pulled her arm behind her back and slammed her face into the wall.

She was going, going GONE! Down she went. I was lucky these heroic-villains had worn out her magic and destroyed her dolls.

Turning back to them I undid the Homo Magi and stepped back. Silently I watched as she undid her companies.

Batgirl turned to me. "Thank you. If you hadn't come along we'd be dead."

"I'm sure you could have figured a way out of it."

"….Well yes. Maybe. But not the point, the point is thank you."

I nodded and took a step back as the blonde beauty stepped forward.

"Hey, it's okay I'm not going to hurt you" she said holding out her hands in the universal 'I surrender' gesture. "I'm wonder girl. You?"

"Katrina, and I doubt you could harm me. Her" I gestured to the Homo Magi/ "She could. Maybe."

"Me?" Homo Magi said, shocked I'd pointed to her.

"Yes, a Homo Magi is not something I want to fight."

"Homo what I" Little green dude asked.

"Homo Magi. Not of import. Why are you here?... and why are you green."

"I'm green cause I'm cool like that" he said advancing towards me. Grabbing Dollmaker, I surrounded myself in shadows, teleporting across the room.

"Lovely English" the group of-what I now assume are heroes- spun around to face me. "Now you stay where you are, and I'll stay where I am. Please."

"How did you get over there?" Traffic light robin asked.

"Why do you wear such bright colours?" I asked, smirking under me hood. Not that he could see that of course.

The glare he shot at me told me that he was unamused.

"My apologies. I use sarcasm and cruelty to cover up my insecurity with your group" said group seemed shocked at my words. Do people in America not tell the truth? Hmm. "Now back to your question. Magic."

Blur, who appeared to be a boy in his late teens, snorted. "Magic, yeah right."

"An unbeliever I see. No matter, to each his own" I turned my head back to Batgirl. "Now, why are you here and when are you leaving?"

"Soon, if possible. We came here, for well her" Batgirl pointed at Dollmaker who still laid unconscious at my feet.

"Hmmm" I touched Dollmaker on the forehead and sent her toward the 'heroes' who had come so far across the sea to find her. "As long as she is not killed, she is yours" I spun around to leave when I heard Homo magi cry out.

"Wh=ait! That's all? You just give her to us and leave?"

"Yes. Should I keep her and stay?"

"Wh-no. you just gave a person to complete strangers!"

"Yes, and?"

"Well, it's not what heroes do" wonder girl said as she picked up the discarded Dollmaker.

"When did I claim to be a hero?"

"Well you didn't but I assume-"

"Don't'."

Wonder girl blinked once, twice then. "Huh?"

"You are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy-" Robin snorted. "-so don't assume anything about this land. Now you have what to cam for child of the bat. Leave" With that I spun on my heels hoping to be rid of the justice leagues apprentices for good.

….Didn't pan out so well.

**(Nerds of the internet! I give you, THIS! Plweas hold the applause till after the story. So this was like one massive pro-log. It takes place 4 years prior to my story. The story takes place after invasions and there will be a few refs for it. I hope you like it so comment and review.**

**p.s the girl in the pic is meant to be Kathrin. I'll draw her later, I'm to lazy to do it at the moment.**

**p.s2 the little ramble at the top….. was a ramble. I started writing and one thing led to another and soon that was there, so I just soothly put it back on track (smoothly, yeah HA)**

*** In Australia we have winter in June and summer in January. Pretty crazy right?**

**Read and review on what you think. I'll put a bio on Kathrin up later on, when we get to know her better.)**


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